Millions of residential and office Internet accounts are accessed by using a computer with a modem and a "dial up" telephone connection to an Internet Service Provider (ISP). In many of these cases, especially the Small Office/Home Office (SOHO) cases, the telephone line used for this access is the only telephone line to the residence or office. Consequently, for the duration of the ISP connection "web browsing", the telephone line is occupied and no telephone calls can be made or received at the residence or small office telephone sets.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art for a system and method to enable occupants of a small office or home office equipped with a single telephone line to make and receive telephone calls from the telephone sets while the external telephone line is used for Internet browsing.
Furthermore, there exists a need in the art for this system and method which allows simultaneous voice and data communcications using a variety of data communication technologies, including voice-band modems, analog or digital telephone lines, local area networks (LAN), and digital subscriber loops (xDSL).
Finally, there is a need in the art for this system and method to be easily installable by persons untrained in telecommunications gear and technology to allow this invention to be marketed through conventional retail channels.